Struggle for Freedom
by FoundDreams
Summary: Tohru has done everything she can think of to try to break the Sohma's curse. With only one week left before graduation, can Kyo find a way to free himself? What will Akito's revenge be? Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1: The Fight

There was only one week left before graduation. One week of freedom left. How had his life gone by so quickly? Kyo sighed, staring at the stars. He wasn't solitary by nature, but ever since his own family had rejected him because he was the cat, and a monster, he had had a hard time accepting himself. He didn't want to become accustomed to friends and companions, because in only a week he would be locked away forever. Alone.

The ladder creaked, and Kyo turned. He had been half-hoping that Tohru would come to see him, and half-dreading it. Of all the people to say goodbye to, it would be hardest to say farewell to her. The worst of it was that she didn't even know that he was going to be locked away yet. He didn't have the courage to tell her.

Her brown head appeared over the edge of the roof, followed by the rest of her.

"Kyo-kun!" She called cheerfully, waving. She was carrying a plate of onigiri. "You hardly ate your dinner at all, so I brought you a snack."

It was true. He didn't have an appetite. Food actually sounded nauseating at the moment. "That's okay, Tohru. I'm really not hungry. I had a big lunch," he fibbed, and then fell silent, staring resolutely at the sky. He heard her sigh softly and sneaked a glance. She too was studying the sky, looking uncertain.

"Kyo—" she started, biting her lip. She took a deep breath, and then began again. "I know why you're upset."

That caught his attention, and his orange eyes flickered to hers as he waited for her to continue, every nerve on edge. Then he remembered he was pretending disinterest, and looked back up at the stars. "How could you know?" He thought to himself.

"Akito told me," Tohru said, making him jump a little. Had he said that out loud?

"Akito told you what?" He all but snapped, kicking himself mentally when she flinched. She blushed and lowered her eyes to her hands, twiddling her thumbs.

"Sh—He said," she said, barely remembering that Kyo didn't know Akito was a girl in time to stop herself from calling Akito a girl, "he said that you're going to be…locked up." The last words were a whisper. "After graduation. I—oh Kyo, I'm so sorry!"

"What are you apologizing for?" He growled darkly, embarrassed and looking as if all the life had been drained from him. How could Akito tell her that? How much did she know? He sat up and faced away from her.

"Kyo, I didn't find out how to break the curse in time. I'm so sorry!" She sniffed and he realized she was crying. He swiveled his head to look at her over his shoulder. He hated it when she cried.

"It's not your fault," he spat, despising himself for his own ineptitude. "I couldn't beat that Yuki!" She gave him a confused look and wiped her eyes, and he realized that Akito hadn't told her about the bet they had made. He clenched his fist, refusing to meet her eyes. "There's still… there's still a chance. If I beat Yuki in a fight, then Akito won't lock me up. I'll be…free…" Or as free as anyone who suffered from a curse could be, he added as an afterthought.

She gasped softly, as if finally understanding one of the great mysteries of the universe. "Now I understand! Now I see why you've always wanted to beat Yuki so badly…" She debated asking him why he hadn't told Yuki. Surely Yuki would let him win… of course, Kyo was a little too proud to admit that he needed help. And that, undoubtedly, was what Akito was counting on in order to win the bet. But why did asking Yuki to let Kyo make her feel like she was betraying Kyo?

"What, did you think I didn't have a reason? Keh," Kyo scoffed. Tohru fiddled with the hem of her skirt and didn't answer right away.

"What if… you ran away?" she asked, sounding almost hopeful.

"I don't run," he snapped, hating himself more with every harsh word. Why did he always treat Tohru so horribly? She didn't deserve it. "Maybe… I deserve to be locked up. Did you ever think of that?" He was short of temper, and knew it. But maybe saying goodbye would be easier if she hated him. Maybe it would be easier to face the future if he lost everything he cared about now. If he had nothing to live for, then being free or a captive wouldn't matter.

"But Kyo-kun doesn't deserve to be locked up," Tohru breathed. "My mother would always say…" Kyo stood up, rudely interrupting her.

"Look, Tohru… I'm really tired. I'm going to bed." He strode to the ladder and began to clamber down. Before his head disappeared beneath the awning of the roof, he hesitated. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, red-faced. Then he was gone. Tohru just sat and stared. Kyo-kun had been so distant lately, she felt like she didn't even know him anymore and she couldn't help but be depressed at the thought. But she couldn't seem to help him either.

A pair of violet eyes peered out of an open window, regarding the inky darkness outside. Yuki tilted his head, listening to the creaking ladder, as he considered the conversation he had just overheard. He leaned his chin on his hand and breathed a quiet sigh.

It was perhaps not surprising to learn that Kyo had a reason besides the obvious for fighting him. Dedication to any goal would only carry a person so far. If Kyo had been fighting him just to beat him, then he should have given up long ago. What was surprising was what he had at stake. And to think that after all this time, Kyo had never asked Yuki to let him win...

It occurred to Yuki for the first time that Kyo was honorable, that perhaps the only reason he and Kyo had such conflict issues was because of the history of their possessor spirits. Maybe he had been too proud to admit that Kyo, although not his favorite type of person, was still a good person.

He sighed again, drumming his fingers lightly on his chin. He needed to figure out what to do from here. If he didn't let Kyo Sohma win a fight, he would be responsible for ending, in effect, Kyo's life. No wonder Kyo had always been obsessed with becoming a member of the Sohma family. Although Yuki had always considered himself a prisoner of the curse and had longed for freedom, Kyo's freedom really was more at stake than his had ever been.

The creaking of the ladder interrupted his thoughts. Tohru was coming down for the night, and with her caring heart, if she saw that his light was still on, she'd come in to talk to him. That was the last thing he wanted right now. Moving quickly but quietly, he flicked off his light and stretched out upon his bed.

Yuki couldn't deny that there were some benefits to having Kyo locked up. With Kyo gone, his relationship with Tohru could, perhaps, develop into something deeper. He sighed and threw his arm over his eyes. But that was the crux of the matter. Tohru would never forgive him for not helping Kyo when he had the chance. Come to think of it, he might never forgive himself either. Despite all their differences, he and Kyo had—almost—become friends.

All he had ever wanted to do was to escape his fate, to stop being a Sohma. Well, maybe he couldn't break the curse, but he could change at least one person's destiny. If Kyo won, he would be the first cat to remain alive and free. That, at least, was a start.

Now that he had decided what to do, he had to decide how to do it. The fight would have to be convincing enough that most people wouldn't think it was fixed, but Kyo would still have to win. He bit his lip, thinking hard. It was too bad Kyo couldn't become faster. There was no way he could keep his reflexes and instincts in line enough to lose.

Or then again… maybe Kyo didn't have to become faster. Maybe if he became slower? Well, that was fairly easy to take care of. There were some sleeping pills in the medicine cupboard. If he took one—no, make that two, just to make sure he was slow enough—then Kyo could quite easily win the battle. Everyone was so used to comparing other people's speed to Yuki's that it would never occur to them that he may well have slowed down. It would look as if Kyo had gotten faster. Or so he hoped.

That also meant there would have to be witnesses. Yuki grimaced. That was his least favorite part of the plan. He knew Kyo would gloat. His defeat would be humiliating enough, but it would be less so if no one else bore witness. Akito, however, would never believe that. So witnesses were a must. Again, that was easy enough to manage. If he just antagonized Kyo at breakfast, when both Shigure and Tohru would be there, there would be more than enough people to testify that Kyo had, in fact, won. Kyo's temper was shorter in the morning, too, so it might be easier to goad him into a fight.

Yuki clenched his hands into fists. After all the time he had spent planning this, he realized that he couldn't back out now. As appalling as it was to think of losing a fight to Kyo, Yuki had to do it for Kyo's sake—and for Tohru's. His last thought before falling asleep was that it was a pity he would never be able to tell anyone that he had let Kyo win, because Tohru would really have loved him for it.

Yuki awoke to the most unpleasant feeling of butterflies in his stomach. He sighed disgustedly as he realized he had slept in his clothes again. A persistent ache just behind his eyes made him realize just how little he had slept the night before. All that planning had kept him up much later than he normally was. And his nerves had woken him up earlier than normal, too. With any luck, Kyo _had_ slept well and would fight excellently. That would make his job easier.

_I don't know what I'm nervous about,_ he grumbled to himself. _All I have to do today is LOSE one blasted fight. Can't be that hard; Kyo does it all the time._ With a groan he pushed himself to his feet and staggered down the hall to the bathroom. Opening the medicine cupboard, he pulled out the sleeping pills. Before he could lose his nerve, he quickly crammed two of them into his mouth and swallowed them. He grimaced at the bitter aftertaste they left in his mouth. He brushed his teeth and returned to his room to comb his hair. It would be slightly suspicious if he looked too unkempt.

Kyo meanwhile stomped downstairs. He had slept in later than normal on purpose. He didn't want to have to spend more time than was necessary with Tohru, after the way he had treated her last night. He took his customary seat at the table, staring pointedly away from the kitchen. If Tohru was angry with him, he didn't want to know it. He wanted to remember her as she had always been, cheerful and forgiving. And if she wasn't angry, well, every time he looked at her it became harder to face his fate. Kyo had to admit that in many ways, his life would be a lot easier if he hadn't met Honda Tohru.

Yuki staggered downstairs, almost tripping on the last step. Kyo stared. That wasn't like always-graceful battle-ready Yuki. Then again, Yuki didn't look his best. There were dark shadows under his eyes and his skin was somewhat pale. Surprised by his concern for his rival, Kyo snorted and turned his head away, just in time to meet Tohru's eyes. He started a little and looked quickly at the table, trying to hide his blush.

"Ohiyo, little flower!" the far too-cheery voice announced the arrival of every-noisy Shigure. He all but swept into the room and dropped into his customary place around the table.

"Ohiyogozaimasu, Shigure!" Tohru responded cheerfully. "I trust you slept well?"

"Mmm," Shigure agreed, restless eyes wandering from Yuki, who just looked miserable, to Kyo, who was looking rather tense and temperamental. With a small Shigure-like grin, he settled back to wait for the drama to unfold.

Tohru, oblivious and happily humming carried breakfast out. "Hope everyone's hungry. I made a lot!" she sang cheerfully. She set the first plate down in front of Yuki. Kyo bristled, trying not to be jealous because Yuki had been served before him. Much to everyone's surprise, Yuki took one look at the food in front of him and pronounced it:

"Disgusting. Perhaps good enough to feed the cat," he glared at Kyo, "but the rest of us deserve food that doesn't smell like garbage."

Tohru almost dropped a plate in shock. "A-ano, I could make something else…" Her gentle eyes had filled with tears, but she turned away quickly and by the time she turned around again, there was no sign that her feelings had been hurt.

Shigure's jaw fell open in surprise before he, too, covered all trace of his reaction to Yuki's statement. He quickly turned to look at Kyo as if expecting to see a firework show begin.

Kyo's hand was tightening on his glass as he clearly fought for control of his temper. Suddenly the glass shattered, along with Kyo's control. He leapt to his feet, eyes blazing.

"That darn rat has gone too far! Say what you like about me, but leave Tohru out of it. She doesn't deserve to have you or anyone nagging her. She does a wonder…" Seeing Shigure's smug look, Kyo trailed off and dropped into his seat with a huff, trying not to flush from embarrassment. Yuki just stared at him, looking as though he were trying not to smirk. Kyo scowled at him.

Tohru set a plate in front of Kyo and Shigure before sitting down herself. Kyo quickly began shoveling food into his mouth, trying to ignore Yuki as much as possible. Yuki took a bite, looking thoughtful.

"Perhaps it wasn't the food that was disgusting as much as the company…"

With a snarl of rage Kyo threw the remains of his glass at Yuki. Predictably, Yuki dodged it, leaping to his feet as he did so. Kyo dove across the table at him. Tohru gasped.

"Please, Yuki, Kyo, don't fight!"

"Or at least not in my house," Shigure agreed. "If I have to replace that door one more time…" he trailed off, shaking his finger threateningly. If Kyo or Yuki heard, they gave no sign.

Kyo's fist flew towards Yuki's face. Yuki lazily reached up a hand and blocked it. Kyo used the distraction to aim a kick at Yuki's stomach, which was again blocked. Growling in frustration, Kyo decided to forget everything he had ever learned about fighting fair. Before Yuki realized what he intended, he snapped his head forward, catching Yuki right on the nose. Yuki, looking shocked, raised one hand as if to brush away the blood trailing down his face.

Kyo didn't give him the chance. Instead, he snapped his fist into Yuki's stomach. Yuki gasped and doubled over, acting more hurt than he really was. Using his pain as cover, he hooked his foot around Kyo's knee and knocked him to the ground. He lunged, aiming a punch at Kyo's face. Kyo, however, had rolled out of the way, wondering if he had gotten faster or if Yuki had gotten slower.

As Yuki slammed his fist into his stomach, though, Kyo had to wonder if it really mattered. He was probably incapable of winning this fight. He _was_ the cat, after all. Didn't everyone think the cat was useless? By chance he glanced over at the table, where Shigure and Tohru were sitting motionless. One look at Tohru's wide, innocent eyes convinced him that he had to at least try to win his freedom.

He took a deep breath. There was a whisper of sound behind him. Somehow, without looking, he knew that Yuki was trying to tackle him. Heck, he even knew exactly where Yuki's head was. Was this how Yuki always felt? No wonder it was almost impossible to beat him in a fight. He whirled around, hands wrapped around each other in a double fist which he proceeded to slam into the side of Yuki's head. With a soft groan, the unexpected happened: Yuki collapsed, unconscious.

Kyo stared, chest heaving as he gasped for air. He blinked, waiting to wake up and find that this was some sort of dream. Nothing happened. Trembling, he turned and headed back to the table.

"A-ano…" Tohru whispered, looking absolutely stunned.


	2. Chapter 2: The Aftermath

"Yes, I'll be over as soon as possible. Don't move him. Keep Kyo away from him." The phone clicked as Hattori hung up. Yuki was unconscious and bleeding, Shigure had told him, though Shigure sounded entirely too pleased given the direness of the situation. Shigure did enjoy this sort of drama.

Hattori was thinking hard. Could it be that Kyo had finally won a fight? No, that was impossible. Something much more serious must have happened that morning. But if Kyo had won a fight, that would mean Kyo wouldn't be locked up in the cat's room...

"Hattori, where are you going?" Akito said from her room as Hattori passed by.

"Yuki's been hurt badly. He's unconscious," Hattori said curtly, then left without another word.

Tohru ran to the front door, tears streaming down her face. "Hattori-san! Hattori-san! Help!" She said. She had flung open the door as soon as she saw Hattori coming.

Hattori remained calm and came inside without asking any questions. There was blood on the floor in the dining room. Kyo wasn't in the room, which struck Hattori as suspicious. Shigure was feeling Yuki's cold, clammy forehead and face. Yuki had broken into a cold sweat while unconscious. Hattori knelt down beside Yuki, gently turned him onto his side, and began to wipe the blood off of Yuki's face while inspecting his nose. It was still gushing blood.

"Broken," Hattori announced. "I'm going to snap it back into place while he's still unconscious. He might wake up."

Tohru covered her face with her hands and violently shook her head.

SNAP! The bleeding subsided. Tohru let out a shriek, but Yuki still did not wake up. Hattori looked in Yuki's mouth with a flashlight, nodded with satisfaction, and then put a bandage over Yuki's nose. He gently prodded Yuki's stomach, nodded again, then picked Yuki up and carried him upstairs along with some ice from the kitchen. Tohru and Shigure followed anxiously. Hattori set Yuki down on his bed upstairs and turned to Shigure and Tohru.

"Yuki's nose should heal in a few weeks. Meanwhile, make sure he doesn't get into any fights with Kyo. Luckily, nothing's ruptured in his stomach, and he doesn't have any severe head injuries. For now it's best to let him lie in bed; he appears to need the rest. Call me again when he wakes up, Shigure. Tohru-kun, if you could stay with him until he wakes up, put this ice on his nose," Hattori said. "How did this happen?" he added as an afterthought.

Shigure and Tohru exchanged glances.

"Kyo-kun finally won a fight," Shigure said. Hattori's eyes widened. Tohru wondered if she was dreaming after all.

"I suppose there's no way around it. I'll have to inform Akito-san. Call me," Hattori said, then gathered his things and left. Shigure and Tohru sat in silence in Yuki's room, Tohru holding ice on Yuki's nose. Her eyes were still filled with tears. Her mind worked furiously. Yuki-kun was hurt, and she felt absolutely dreadful, but at the same time she felt that she had to go talk to Kyo-kun. He had stormed off without a word after Shigure decided to call Hattori, and Tohru hadn't seen him since. He was probably on the roof again, or maybe he had gone out somewhere. Either way, he seemed just as shocked as Shigure and herself. But wasn't this good news? Now Kyo-kun wouldn't be locked up in the cat's room, and maybe Tohru would live with Kyo-kun for just a while longer, and even talk to him when they finished high school. Still, what Kyo-kun did to Yuki-kun wasn't good at all... What would Tohru do now? When would Kyo-kun come back?

Hours passed as Tohru fretted over Kyo and Yuki. Shigure's stomach grumbled, awakening Tohru from her thoughtful stupor.

"A-ano-san, there should be some left over unagi in the freezer. Would you mind heating them up for yourself if you're hungry? I c-can't leave Sohma-kun," Tohru said.

"Of course. I won't be long. Tell me if he wakes up," Shigure said. He left Yuki and Tohru alone.

Tohru shifted slightly in her seat, and she moved the ice from one hand to the other as she did so. "Sohma-kun..." she sighed.

Yuki moaned and opened his eyes. "Honda-san! What happened?" As soon as he asked, he remembered exactly what happened.

"Eh-to..." Tohru murmured.

"Where's Kyo?" Yuki asked.

"I don't know. He left after- after-" Tohru couldn't get the words out.

"Oh," Yuki said. "I see. Why didn't you go after him?"

"I- you're hurt!" Tohru stammered. "Your nose-!"

Yuki's hand immediately touched his nose, and he flinched.

"It's broken," Tohru said. "You don't look so good. Y-you were really pale and sweating. You've been unconscious for hours."

"Really? What time is it?"

"Three o'clock in the afternoon."

"Ah! Really!" Yuki sat up quickly.

"No! Please rest. We have to call Hattori. He told us to call as soon as you woke up,"

Tohru said. She gently pushed Yuki back down, and got up to leave.

"Wait- Tohru-kun..." Yuki stammered.

Tohru sat back down, staring at Yuki. This was the first time he had called her by her name.

"I'm sorry about this morning... and I need to tell you something," Yuki said. "I- I really like you."

Tohru flushed. "Yuki-kun... I- I have to go tell Shigure... I have to find... have to find Kyo..." She ran out of the room. Yuki didn't know exactly how he was feeling right now, but he did know that he wanted to tell Tohru how he felt about her and he hoped she would understand what he had done. He felt like this was the one thing he might never be able to explain to her. In that respect, he knew Kyo would always be closer to her. He was jealous of Kyo for that. He wanted so badly to be able to confide in Tohru about this, just like everything else. Then, for no reason in particular, or for a whole slew of combined reasons, Yuki started to cry.

Tohru ran downstairs. Shigure looked up from his unagi. "Is he awake?"

Tohru nodded, then ran out the front door. It was cloudy outside, but it didn't look like it would rain just yet. Tohru climbed up the ladder by the side of the house to see if Kyo was there, but he wasn't. She hurried back down the ladder and she started running to the school. She wasn't sure why, she just did.

When Tohru finally reached her high school, Kyo was sitting on the roof, easily recognizable by his orange hair. Tohru climbed onto the roof as she had done many times before when following Kyo. She was breathless and crying a bit when she reached the top.

"Kyo-kun..." she breathed.

He started and got up, ready to run off again. Then he calmed himself slightly and gazed at Tohru in disbelief. "How did you find me?"

"I had a feeling... you'd be here," Tohru said between breaths. "Kyo-kun... Kyo-kun... does this mean you won't be locked up?"

Kyo looked away from her. "That depends on whether Akito will keep his promise. Tohru-kun, I- I'm sorry..."

"What?"

"I'm sorry. I've caused you trouble. You didn't have to get involved. And now Yuki's hurt... keh. Damn rat. It's his own damn fault." Kyo said.

"No! I wanted to get involved! I-... Kyo-kun, Yuki-kun's ok. His nose is broken, but he'll be fine. But Kyo-kun, I didn't want you to be locked up! Because..." Tohru paused for several seconds. Kyo looked back at her.

"What is it?" Kyo said, a little too violently.

"Nothing. Please come back to the house. Even Yuki-kun asked where you were," Tohru said. She would be disregarding Yuki's feelings too much if she told Kyo how she felt about him now. She needed time to think.

Kyo sighed. He looked a little disappointed. "Ok. Let's go back to the house."

Back at the house, Hattori had come over again. Shigure had left Yuki and Hattori alone because Hattori had expressed concern and wanted to ask Yuki some questions. Yuki knew Hattori wasn't stupid enough to fall for his trick, and he knew he must look terrible today after not sleeping much at all the night before. No, Hattori would have to be told. Or Yuki would have to think of a lie, and quickly.

"You should rest for the rest of the day at least. And maybe even a few more days. You seem to have taken a real beating. Is it true that Kyo won?" Hattori said.

"Mm. Kyo won," Yuki said.

"I wonder what Akito will think. Yuki, did you lose on purpose? Did you stay up all night or take anything that would have impaired your judgment?" Hattori asked. He stared at Yuki. Aside from appearing extremely pale and having dark rings under his eyes, it seemed that Yuki had been crying– something Yuki hadn't done for many years. Something was going on.

Yuki flinched at Hattori's directness and looked up. It was too late to make up an excuse for his slowness and his poor condition. "I may have lost some sleep last night. I overheard something about Kyo being locked up. And I may have taken some sleeping pills..."

"I see."

"But he did win, it was fair! I really wasn't expecting him to fight like that..." Yuki said pensively.

Hattori merely stared at Yuki.

"I- I never wanted to be stuck in the Sohma house. I never knew Kyo faced being locked up for the rest of his life unless he didn't win a fight. So I could relate to him just this once... Are you going to tell Akito-san?" Yuki asked anxiously.

"No. I think this needs to be a secret. But I also think you should tell Tohru, if not now then at some point," Hattori said.

Yuki didn't answer. How could he tell Tohru? Impossible.

Hattori gathered his things, said "Get some rest," and left. Yuki was left alone, feeling lonelier than he had felt in a very long time. "Tohru," he sighed.

Kyo and Tohru walked back in the rain. The two of them quickly became drenched in lukewarm water. Kyo grumbled. He knew he would transform soon. He hadn't been feeling too well since that morning, and he hadn't eaten anything all day. Tohru chanced a glance at him, clearly concerned. Kyo pretended to ignore her, and they continued to walk in silence. As they walked down a deserted side street, Kyo finally stumbled and transformed into a cat.

"Kyo-kun!" Tohru said. She immediately picked him up. Kyo did not allow her to pick him up in the past, but they had become closer lately, so he climbed into her arms without complaint. "Kyo-kun! Are you ok? Have you eaten anything today? Maybe you should sleep."

"I guess I forgot to eat, with everything that's going on. Let's just go back home," Kyo said.

"Ok. Will you be ok?" Tohru asked.

"Yeah, I should be fine," Kyo said.

Tohru hurried back to the house and burst in the front door. Shigure looked a little surprised, and also a little anxious, which wasn't like him at all.

"Tadaima," Tohru said.

"O-okairi," Shigure said.

"Shigure-san, I'm going to make some dinner. Kyo-kun's not feeling well," Tohru said.

"Hai," Shigure said. Tohru hurried into the kitchen.

The phone rang. Shigure picked it up. "Hai? Mushimushi?" He paused, looking intent.

"Akito," he said.

Disclaimer: We do not own Fruits Basket or its characters. This is a fan fiction based on the manga by Takaya Natsuki.


	3. Chapter 3: A Change

**A/N: 208 hits, it says. Unless I'm mistaken, that meansthat two hundred and four people have read this without reviewing. People, PLEASE review! I'm begging you! Both Mer and I LOVE reviews! So here's what I want you to do: Imagine the cutest puppy in the whole world making puppy-dog eyes at you. That is what we are doing. Please review! It can be constructive criticism, corrections, or praise, but let it be something!**

**Disclaimer: Mer and I do not own Fruits Basket, unfortunately. But if it's ever up for sale and we can afford it, well, THEN we might own it. Right now it is the property of Takaya Natsuki, the lucky (and brilliant) soul.**

* * *

Shigure's eyes were shining as he listened to Akito rant and rave. He loved drama like this. It was just so inspiring. The public just ate it up. All he had to do with a scene like this one was alter it a little and find some way to fit it to his current plot and bing! instant bestseller. His mind was already racing, trying to fit the unfolding situation into his current plotline. Akito was angry; that didn't matter. Eventually she'd calm down. Kyo might get into trouble. No, correction, Kyo _would_ get into trouble. Well, after seeing him beat Yuki, Shigure wasn't especially worried about that. Kyo could take care of himself. Struggling not to hum happily to himself, Shigure scribbled down notes. He could almost see the money come flowing in…

"Mm-hmm, of course," he agreed, hardly paying any attention at all to Akito at this point. "Wait… You want to see who? Tohru? Not Kyo?" Well, this was an unforeseen complication. He would, however, obey Akito. "I'll send her right over." He hung up the phone, feeling a little anxious for the "little flower". With a small sigh, he padded into the kitchen. Tohru was already hard at work cooking, and Kyo was nowhere in sight. Shigure cleared his throat.

"Itai!" Tohru yelped, dropping a pan which, fortunately, missed her foot. "Shigure-san! You startled me!" She bent over quickly to retrieve the pan, managing to hit her head on the counter as she did so. "Ouch," she murmured quietly, rubbing her head and trying to act like it didn't hurt. Shigure shook his head in amazement. How could one klutz change the Sohma family as much as she had?

Having finally collected herself, Tohru turned back to Shigure. "I-I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone to come talk to me. How can I help you? Is there something special you want to eat?"

Shigure _was_ hungry, and he did hate to send Tohru to see Akito—especially before she got the chance to feed him. But Akito's orders were orders.

"Tohru, Akito called." If he had wanted to catch her attention, that sure did the trick.

"Akito?" she repeated with a small frown, wringing her hands together nervously. "Did he… Is he… angry with Kyo-kun?"

"Angry with Kyo?" Shigure repeated, raising an eyebrow in surprise. Was the girl really that dense? Why wasn't she more concerned for her own safety? Kyo could take care of himself, as he had just proved that morning. He shook his head. "I don't know if he's angry with Kyo-kun or not. I didn't ask and he didn't say." He paused for a brief moment to study Tohru's expression. She seemed relieved. He sighed. It really wouldn't be a bad thing if Tohru thought about herself more often. Well, there would be time for that later, he supposed. If she waited too long to go see Akito, it wouldn't come out well. "Akito wants to see you, Tohru. Right now. I'm sorry; I know you're in the middle of fixing dinner. But he was rather insistent."

Tohru nodded, glancing nervously around the kitchen. "Ano… I guess you could order take-out." She bit her lip. "I'm sorry. It really is my job to cook for you…"

Shigure held up a hand to stop her. "It's fine. Just go. Akito doesn't like to be kept waiting." Her brown head bobbed agreement as she rushed to the front door, pausing only long enough to slip on her shoes and raincoat. She threw open the door and trotted out into the rain, scurrying towards the Sohma house.

Why did Akito want to see her? Akito should have asked to see Kyo, to tell him he was free… Unless Akito was going to go back on her promise. Tohru smothered a sob and quickened her steps. The gated entrance to Sohma property loomed out of the rain in front of her. Hattori was waiting to let her in. She was a little surprised to notice that he looked almost…afraid. She had never seen him scared before. Her heart began to pound.

"Hattori-san," she said formally, bowing. "Akito-san said he wanted to see me."

"Yes," he agreed, unlocking the gate. "I've been waiting for you." He paused, then added, "Try not to antagonize Akito. He's in a bad mood." Tohru gulped and nodded, falling into step behind Hattori as he led her towards Akito's room. He slid the door open, gesturing her into the room. She obeyed, and jumped as he slid the door shut behind her. She would have felt better if Hattori had come in with her.

Glancing around the dim room, it took Tohru a few moments to locate Akito. She was leaning up against a wall, enshrouded in shadow. Some dark emotion flickered in her eyes as she stared intently at Tohru.

Tohru could feel herself sweating nervously. She wanted to break the silence, but something told her that wouldn't be a good idea. She suppressed the urge to fidget, and stood perfectly still for Akito's scrutiny, hands clasped tightly in front of her. It seemed like hours had passed before Akito finally broke the silence.

"Sit." Her voice echoed in the dim room. It sounded as though she were barely keeping her temper in check. Tohru sat, biting her lip apprehensively. With a rustle of silk, Akito stood, striding over to where Tohru sat.

"Do you know what you have cost me?" The voice was a snarl. Akito grasped Tohru's hair, pulling her face up until it was just a few inches from her own. Tohru whimpered. "Because of your insidious manipulation, I have lost a bet." Akito released her hold on Tohru's hair. Tohru collapsed in a heap at Akito's feet.

"It should have been impossible for me to lose that bet. Kyo is too proud to ask Yuki to let him win. Even if Kyo had asked, Yuki still wouldn't have let him win. They hated each other—until you came along." Akito hissed angrily, looking as if she wanted to kick Tohru. She restrained herself—barely. Pacing in circles around Tohru, Akito continued expressing her anger. "There is _nothing_ special about you. I've checked, I've watched you—you are an ordinary girl. If anything, you're more stupid and clumsy than other people. There is no reason why I should have lost my bet because of _you!_" Akito was literally screaming now. Tohru lay on the floor at her feet, sobbing and shivering in fear. Akito's foot snapped out, catching Tohru in the ribs. She gasped in pain, curling around herself protectively and waiting for the next blow to fall.

Nothing happened. Tohru finally raised her head, looking at Akito through eyes wet with weeping. Akito was on the other side of the room, caressing her pet white bird. She turned to look at Tohru, all traces of her violent rage gone. A cold anger smoldered in her eyes.

"Nothing, Miss Honda, is as important to me as my family. I must have them all with me. They must all love me. They must not be able to leave me. And you have changed that. You have enabled the cat-monster to remain apart from me. You clearly desire his freedom. Fine. I will take yours instead."

Akito, bird still perched on her hand, quickly crossed the room to where Tohru lay. "I will make _you_ a part of my family, since you seem to enjoy our company so much." Puzzled, Tohru met her eyes. Akito's lips were moving at the edge of her vision, forming words. Tohru heard them as if from a long ways off. She tried to listen, but couldn't. Something else was pulling at her consciousness. She had a vague impression of wings beating. The whole world was spread out below her on a miniature scale. She rode the air currents effortlessly, flying freely yet still feeling…trapped, somehow. She gasped, and wasn't sure if it was really her own voice that she heard or the call of a bird. Darkness wrapped around her mind like a blanket and she sank into its embrace gratefully. Perhaps things would be clearer once she woke up.

"What did you do to her?" a voice nearby asked. "She looks…very ill." Tohru fought against unconsciousness as she struggled to place the voice. Hattori, that's whose voice she heard. She tried to speak, and found she couldn't. Nor could she move. Her head was pounding, and she couldn't remember where she was.

"I did nothing," Akito's voice responded. "The baka merely collapsed."

There was a brief pause before another voice—Shigure's—answered. "Still, our little flower doesn't look as if she's feeling well. Maybe I should carry her home."

"No!" Akito snapped. "Don't touch her. When she wakes up, she can walk home. She shouldn't be such a weakling."

Tohru tried again to speak. A soft groan was all she could manage. Her eyes fluttered open, and she realized she was still in Akito's room. Her side throbbed from Akito's kick. Shigure knelt over her.

"Our little flower's awake!" he crowed joyously. Hattori rolled his eyes as he came to kneel on her other side.

"How are you feeling, Tohru?" he asked kindly.

"My head hurts," she whispered. "What happened?"

"That's what we'd all like to know," Hattori answered, looking worriedly between Tohru and Akito. "For now, let's just get you home."

She let Hattori pull her to her feet, an idea slowly crystallizing in her mind. Akito was mad because Kyo-kun won the bet. Therefore, Akito was going to keep her word. Kyo was free!

She forgot her headache, forgot her worry over Akito's strange behavior. Kyo was free, that was all that mattered. Blinking, she looked around. Hattori had clearly opted to remain at the Sohma house. Shigure was walking on her right, looking concerned.

"Tohru, you're awfully quiet. Are you sure you're all right?"

Tohru nodded, "Yes, I'm fine…" She trailed off with a happy squeal as they rounded the bend. Leaning casually against the wall were Kyo-kun and Yuki. She waved and skipped happily over to the pair.

"Kyo! Yuki!" she called, grinning from ear to ear. Her smile faded for a second. "Yuki, are you sure you should be out of bed?"

Kyo sighed, disappointed that she had asked about Yuki's health before his. He lightly tapped her head with his fist.

"He's fine. We wanted to make sure that you were alright."

"Yes," Yuki agreed, violet eyes looking at Tohru with concern. "Momiji called us. He said that Akito asked to see you, and we were afraid that Akito's temper would get the better of him." Tohru bit her lip and said nothing. Silence reigned for all of thirty seconds.

"Well!" demanded Kyo, growing impatient.

"Well what?" Tohru asked innocently.

Kyo made an explosive noise of annoyance. Taking a deep breath, he positively bellowed: "DID AKITO HURT YOU?"

"Oh," Tohru said, looking shocked, and a little frightened, at Kyo's vehemence. She bit her lip and looked at the grass. "N-no."

Kyo snorted, sounding doubtful. Yuki gently raised her chin with his finger, forcing her to look into his violet eyes. "Is that true?"

"A-ano," Tohru murmured, eyes downcast, "I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt me."

Predictably, Kyo exploded again. "Didn't MEAN to hurt you? So he did, in fact, hurt you? What did he do?"

Tohru looked mildly alarmed. "Kyo, please calm down. He was just mad that you won the bet and will be free. It's nothing to get so worked up over!"

"I repeat, what did he do to you!"

Tohru blushed. "Nothing much," she muttered, words barely audible. "Just… pulled my hair and kicked me once."

There was a brief period of silence while Kyo struggled to get control of his temper. Yuki's violet eyes also revealed anger and pain. Both boys were thinking the same thing: How did Akito dare to harm Tohru?

"I'll kill him," Kyo decided, clenching his hands in anger. His eyes looked almost murderous. This was the second time that Akito had hurt Tohru, and he hadn't been there to help her. He couldn't forgive himself for that. He couldn't forgive Akito for harming her. But there was one way to make certain Akito would never do so again. "A dead person never hurts anyone."

"Kyo! No, please—" Tohru desperately tried to think of a way to keep Kyo from heading off to attack, and perhaps even kill, Akito. After all, _she_ didn't think Akito deserved to die. And… the other members of the Zodiac would protect Akito. Kyo could very well never walk away from that confrontation. Biting her lip, she tried to persuade Kyo to leave well enough alone. "Please, Kyo, Akito's going to keep his word. You won't be locked up, but if you go and attack him, then you might be! Please!" _I wanted so much to free you! Don't throw that all away!_ she thought frantically. _Not before I tell you…_

It was too late. Kyo was already running off, headed towards the Sohma estate. Useless as usual, Shigure popped seemingly out of nowhere. "What, exactly, is Kyo doing? It looks like he's headed towards the Main House. How interesting! I trust that this had nothing to do with our little flower's trip there?"

Yuki and Tohru exchanged quick worried glances, then tore after Kyo. Shigure put a hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter. This day just got better and better for the lover of drama.

"Kyo-kun!" Tohru yelled, gasping for breath. "Please stop!" Kyo seemed not to hear. No, more likely he heard her—his steps faltered a little, but he didn't stop. At least he was running at the speed of a normal person, and not as fast as she had seen him do. He must still be tired from the rain and his fight with Yuki. That was a small blessing. Yuki also wasn't moving at his usual speed. Tohru cringed, hoping that this running wouldn't make his full recovery more difficult… Someone had to end this before Kyo or Yuki pushed themselves too hard and got hurt. Tohru gritted her teeth in determination and picked up the pace. She had almost caught up to Kyo-kun. If she just could run a little faster or reach a little farther… With a wild, desperate leap, she managed to lock her arms around Kyo's waist. "Stop!" she shrieked. Predictably, there was a puff of smoke as Kyo was transformed into a cat. But somehow, this time was different. Tohru felt something inside her change, becoming something that was less human. She gasped as she felt her body begin to change with it. Was everything getting bigger, or was she getting smaller? And what was she sitting under? It felt like someone had thrown a towel over her head—a towel that looked, as far as she could tell, exactly like the shirt she had been wearing.

Yuki, finally catching up to the pair, was pleased to note that Kyo-kun had transformed and no longer seemed interested in killing Akito. He was less pleased to note that Tohru had disappeared, leaving her clothes behind. He glanced around, spotting Kyo. Culprit found, he thought to himself, and glared at Kyo.

"Where is Tohru? What did you do to her?"

Kyo looked up, concerned. "I-I don't know. I didn't do anything!" he snapped. Looking around, he was startled to discover that the rat was right. Tohru was nowhere in sight, even though her clothes were on the sidewalk next to him. "Tohru!" he called, trying not too sound to panicky.

"I'm right here," Tohru answered, voice muffled. She was having a very difficult time. Judging by the way her vision had changed, her eyes had moved to the sides of her head. She couldn't see what was in front of her, only the things to her right and left. She kept turning her head, trying to figure out what was wrong with her eyes. And that wasn't all. While she could move her arms up and down, she couldn't bring them forward. Her hair, too, was conspicuously absent. Moving her arms up and down vigorously, a feather floated past her cheek. She froze. Everything seemed so different—and wrong.

Yuki turned pale and reached down, moving Tohru's discarded shirt to one side, revealing a very ruffled looking bird.

"Tohru?" Kyo and Yuki whispered together, looking frightened.

Realization was dawning on Tohru. Twisting her head more than she would have believed possible to look at herself, she felt her worst fears confirmed. Feathers, beak, claws, and all, she was no longer human. She was a bird. She fought down panic, taking deep breaths. "What…what happened to me?"

"What…exactly… did Akito do to you?" Kyo whispered, looking horrified. Tohru shook her head, not knowing how to answer. She began to sidle closer to Kyo-kun. Somehow his presence made her feel more calm and secure. She felt something inside herself snap, and, with a puff of smoke, she returned to her human self. Of course, her clothes were still on the ground at her feet. "Eep!" she shrieked. Kyo and Yuki instantly turned matching shades of bright red and turned away from her. She quickly dressed as Shigure commented, materializing out of nowhere again, "It's almost as though you've been cursed, Tohru."


End file.
